


Bloody Knuckles, Shards Of Glass

by Tortellini



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Absent Parents, Abuse, Abusive Parents, Bad Parenting, Based on a Tumblr Post, Billy Hargrove Being an Asshole, Billy Hargrove Needs Love, Character Study, Child Abuse, Divorce, Dysfunctional Family, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Family, Gay Billy Hargrove, Homophobia, Homosexuality, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Inspired By Tumblr, Inspired by Poetry, Internalized Homophobia, Male Homosexuality, Manipulation, Neil Hargrove Being an Asshole, Parent-Child Relationship, Past Child Abuse, Period-Typical Homophobia, Role Models, Step-siblings, Wordcount: 100-500
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-26
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2019-03-24 03:52:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13802829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tortellini/pseuds/Tortellini
Summary: Billy Hargrove never had a chance to be soft.Oneshot/drabble





	Bloody Knuckles, Shards Of Glass

**Author's Note:**

> **homophobia, racism 
> 
> \-- 
> 
> Billy's not a good person--he's a racist, abusive, misogynistic bully. What he does is inexcusable. But the abuse he's suffered at the hands of his father, and the indifference between his stepmother and partly Max, all need to at least be acknowledged as well. I'm not saying ANYTHING he did was okay. On the contrary, with the friends of Steve (Nancy, Jonathan), Max, and the kids, he could realize the error in his ways, become part of the gang, and help battle the Upside Down (one of my hopes for the next season!). 
> 
> If someone doesn't ship Harringrove, like all people who don't ship my ships, I'll respect them and hope they do the same for me; just remember not to be aggressive towards the people who do in fact ship them.

_I never had a chance to be soft._

Billy Hargrove grows up way too fast, a little boy with angry eyes and tight t-shirts. California is hot to the touch, the air thick and sticky, and by the time he's fourteen he's already been drinking cheap beer for about a year. He spends the more cooler, bearable nights in his room with the windows open, cigarette burns dotting his fingers and his lips. 

The first time he's kissed by a boy isn't too much time after. Has to be fifteen or sixteen. 

California's supposed to be better, y'know? That's what everyone says. But if it's better then why does his mother leave?

Why does his father hear one word about what a "faggot" his son is and break his jaw?

* * *

 

_I was always bloody knuckles and shards of glass._

It's crazy how the tiny shit town of Hawkins Indiana is actually better. It's not what he's expecting at all. Better might not even be the right word to use. But Billy's stepsister Max seems to like it, and she's not family but he's still protective of her. She likes it even if she's way too friendly with the black kid that hangs around her. Makes Billy's skin crawl, lip curl, but no matter what he says she won't get it through her stubborn head. 

No one there knows about Neil Hargrove's fuckup faggot son, and it's something he and Billy for once both are grateful for. Billy can keep up the persona he's forced around himself. It's become second nature by now. 

And everything's fine until he takes one look at Steve Harrington and feels the heat pool low in his belly. 

* * *

 

_I wanted people to be afraid of hurting me._

Everybody stays out of his way. 

God don't get him wrong though, Billy knows he's a catch. He can see how girls stare at his ass in the hallway and he'd be a goddamn liar if he said the attention didn't make him smirk. Nah, he wasn't interested, but they didn't know that. If any of those girls stuck around to actually talk to him though, they saw how he was. And pretty soon most of them stayed away from him too. 

Steve Harrington with his squinted eyes, his easy smiles, freckles on his face and neck--he stays away too. He doesn't give Billy a second glance.

It's not like Billy minded. It's better this way. And he hated most people to begin with, so it's fine. It's fine.

People know not to mess with him because he'd fuck them up. Everyone is afraid.

Afraid of hurting him. 

 

 


End file.
